


Astraphobia

by HaddockWriter



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Astraphobia, Astrid is scared of lightning, Blind Astrid Hofferson, Blindness, Comfort, Dragons: Race to the Edge, Emotional Comfort, Episode: s06e11 Blindsided, F/M, Fluff, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Toothless Friendship, Hiccup comforts Astrid, Lightning - Freeform, Phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romantic Fluff, Scared Astrid Hofferson, stormfly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28792959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaddockWriter/pseuds/HaddockWriter
Summary: A one-shot about how Astrid recovers from her fear of being blind again after getting her sight back after season 5 episode 11 of RTTE (Blindsided).
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31
Collections: Hiccstrid One-Shots





	Astraphobia

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one chapter one-shot.

This story takes place during a storm a week after the events of Blindsided. 

Lightning and thunder, two duos that dance together during a heavy storm to wreak havoc upon the Archipelago. One causing destruction by striking and burning down anything that stood in its way, and the other provoking fear into its victims with its booming roar that is capable of shaking the earth. Strokes of white swords streaking through the black sky, followed by the sound of a dozen explosions crackling in the night terrified the blonde girl in her sleep as she was once again reminded of the cause of her inescapable darkness.

Those white flashes that zip across the sky at an incredible speed are so terrifying that not only Vikings, but even most dragons are afraid of them as well. And the blinding sight of this white heat was witnessed up close by the once fearless Astrid Hofferson.

Ever since the day of her blindness, Astrid had developed a fear towards both darkness and lightning. And even though she managed to recover her sight thanks to Gothi’s treatment, there was still one thing Gothi couldn't fully cure… Astrid’s fear of being blind, again. 

After her recovery, Gothi warned Astrid that if she was to be struck by another lightning from such a proximate distance as last time, there would be a very slim chance for her second blindness to be recoverable. And this warning crippled the courageous girl with fear as she suddenly recalled those horrific moments of seeing pitch black with two open eyes.

During a night not long after Astrid’s return from Berk, the peace of the night sky on Dragon’s Edge was once again interrupted when the same uninvited guests decided to make a return. The clouds turned black, and a howling gale blew its way towards the dragon stables, indicating to the riders that a big storm was about to hit.

To prevent the incident of the dragons running scared into the forest like last time, Hiccup decided that it was best for their dragons not to sleep in the stables, but to spend the night together with their individual riders in their own huts.

As the storm grew heavier, the sound of lightning meeting the earth grew even louder as well. And each strike sent a shiver down Astrid’s body as she writhed and turned on her bed to contain her fear of the white blade. With back arched and knees pressed against her chest, Astrid curled herself into a ball and hugged her legs as tight as she could in an attempt to seek comfort. But that action of hers was only able to bring little relief, not a full cure…

Her anxious heart kept leaping with no signs of slowing down. The sound of raindrops crashing onto the reverberating surface of the metal roof only made things worse, it was like the sound of countless arrows being rained down from the sky. Her forehead began sweating profusely and her brows furrowed deeply at the trouble that was stirring within her. 

The blonde girl forced her eyes to press shut so that she could fall asleep, wishing for her dreams to take her away to a safe place, to be untouched by the storm outside, as well as the storm inside. But every time she closed her eyes, she became afraid of the darkness that once haunted her even during daybreak. And instead of having pleasant dreams, she was greeted with nightmares.

She wanted to scream! Shout! Say something! But all that was heard from her contorted facial expressions were just the sounds of muffled whimpers and tears that streamed down her pale cheeks. A small puddle of water pooling on the surface of the pillow where her head lies as the soft fabric got soaked in a mixture of both sweat and tears.

Stormfly heard the slight whimpering of her rider and attempted to comfort her, understanding the anguish she experienced while her sight was impaired. She nudged her head lightly against her rider, wanting to grab the attention of the perturbed girl and distract her from the storm outside. She nudged with her head once, then twice, but there was still no response.

Knowing that her efforts were futile but still not willing to give up, Stormfly just laid her head next to the girl, silently listening to her muffled sobs as she too tried to get a few winks herself, hoping that this small action of hers is able to give at least some bit of comfort to the girl who was fighting her fear of the storm.

Even with the inner turmoil ongoing inside her chest, Astrid was still keenly aware of Stormfly’s subtle actions in attempting to comfort her. And she really appreciated it. Really, she did. But having Stormfly beside her still wasn’t enough to calm the storm in her heart. She hopes someone else would be here with her right now… but she couldn’t. 

She couldn’t let anyone on the Edge know that a fearless warrior like her was afraid of a few streaks of lightning that flashes across the sky. No, she couldn’t, especially not when she had encountered countless more terrifying things before and even survived being in the belly of an erupting volcano. But despite all those dangerous situations she had been through, none of them actually hurt her, not to the same extent as the lightning did.

The horrific moment was still vivid inside her head; the instant when her bare eyes witnessed the white line flashing before her; the impact it brought when it struck the stable to the ground... 

Her body was blown away as she laid there collapsed on the wooden floor, passed out with black ashes blemished all over her face. It was a memory she will never forget, a memory that will haunt her every night until she finally finds a way to overcome it.

After an hour of tossing restlessly on the bed, the storm seemed like it was finally coming to a stop. The sound of raindrops falling from the sky was also starting to fade and the frightened girl let out a small breath of relief, thinking that the tempest outside was finally over, until suddenly...

“Ahhh!” 

The drowsy girl awoke from her daze with a loud scream, startling the blue Nadder beside her as the dragon leapt from the floor and let out a loud squawk, her protective instincts activating at the moment’s notice so that she could protect the girl from any harm that comes upon her. 

It turns out that a big lightning bolt had struck a tree near Astrid’s hut, causing the blonde girl to have goosebumps all over her skin when she heard the thunderous roar that brought the walls of her hut to tremble and shake at the sound. 

Stormfly didn’t know what to do. She had never seen Astrid this terrified before. She kept squawking at the young girl to try to get her to stop her crying or maybe get her to communicate with her. But all Stormfly received from the fearful girl were just streams of tears that became more and more abundant by the minute. And the sound of her crying didn’t sound like it was getting any softer. Instead, it was growing louder.

Running out fast on options available, Stormfly knew the only solution to Astrid’s problem now would be to go look for Hiccup. But just when Stormfly was about to leave, Astrid stopped her.

“Don’t! Don’t leave, Stormfly! I’m... scared!” 

The girl pleaded earnestly with the blue dragon, stopping the dragon from leaving her room although she knew Stormfly had good intentions towards her. Stormfly looked at the girl and gave her an understanding nod. She couldn’t possibly leave Astrid to go look for Hiccup. Astrid was in too bad of a condition to let her only comforter leave her, even if it’s just for a fraction of a minute. Returning back to her rider, Stormfly rested her head onto Astrid’s lap so that she could let the girl hug her, or maybe let her cry on her head till she fell asleep, just like every other night before this. It’s been almost a week now since Astrid got her sight back. And throughout these seven days, Stormfly was the only comforter Astrid trusted and depended on while her inner demons haunted her at night. 

But having only Stormfly to watch over her simply wasn’t enough. She needed someone more personal, someone like...

“Astrid?” a familiar voice travelled across the room, blending in with the sound of constant raindrops falling from the sky.

“Hiccup? Is that you?” Astrid asked, looking towards the general direction where the voice was coming from.

“Yes, it’s me. What happened? I heard you screaming from my hut just now.” Hiccup shouted, still standing outside the door to Astrid’s hut as he waited patiently for Astrid’s reply, his drenched clothes growing heavier by the second under the dense rain pouring upon him.

“I’m fine, Hiccup. You can go back to your hut.” Astrid took some time to stop her crying before she lied to him, concealing the fear in her voice with a brave tone. 

Inside her, she felt like there was a massive game of tug of war going on between her heart and her mind. Deep down, she knew she needed Hiccup to just wrap her in his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. But her mind on the other hand chose to remain stubborn, thinking that a fearless Viking girl like her shouldn’t be afraid of just a mere storm, especially not when she’s a Hofferson.

Hearing the assurance in her voice, Hiccup walked back to his hut thinking all is well with her. In his head, he wondered what it was that could possibly cause Astrid to scream at such a piercing frequency, it was almost similar to those of Snotlout’s. And this made Hiccup doubt that Astrid was actually telling him the truth. His scepticism was proven correct when another lightning struck a tree nearby, eliciting another scream that came from the girl’s hut. 

“Astrid! What happened?” This time, Hiccup didn’t wait for her permission and entered her hut without her consent.

“It’s nothing, Hiccup! I told you! I’m fine!” Astrid answered, her response wasn’t as convincing this time.

“Astrid, are you… crying?” 

“No! I’m not! You don’t have to worry about me, okay? I’ve already told you! I’m fine!” 

Her voice sounded hoarse and weak. It was almost as if she had been in a battle. A battle that had exhausted her for a span of a few days, and she still hasn't been able to rest from it. Knowing that something was definitely troubling Astrid, Hiccup decided to walk the stairs up to her loft and give her a visit, refusing to believe that she was totally fine unless he had seen her for himself.

At the end of the stairs, he saw Astrid crying silently with her face between her knees. Her chest was heaving and her breathing erratic. The blanket that was covering her knees even had tears stained on them, displaying all evidence that the blonde girl had been crying in bed.

“Astrid, what happened?” Hiccup whispered, his voice saturated with concern towards the girl he loves. 

Astrid lifted her head to check where the voice came from. Seeing Hiccup standing just a few steps away from her made her feel weak and disparaged. She had never let anyone see her cry before, not even her parents, and definitely not Hiccup. Ever since young, she trained herself to toughen up and not show weakness. Having the word Hofferson in her name wasn’t easy. The name represented strength and courage, and that meant that everyone in the family were mighty warriors who displayed no signs of intimidation.

Astrid turned away from Hiccup to hide her face from him, not wanting to see him nor wanting to let him see the mess she was.

“You know you can tell me anything, right? I’m here for you.” Stormfly moved away from Astrid to let Hiccup sit on the bed. A hand was wrapped around Astrid’s body by the shoulder as Hiccup started rubbing soothing circles over the exposed skin of her sleeveless tunic. 

Mmm… She liked it. She liked the feeling of having Hiccup’s arms wrapped around her… It felt pleasant. But most importantly, it made her feel safe.

Despite the contact, she didn’t respond to his touch and remained stout hearted, refusing to show any hints of emotions although she really wanted to. She was with Hiccup, the person she trusted most. But somehow, she was still afraid of stepping out of her comfort zone, of telling Hiccup that his strong and invincible girlfriend that can take him down with just one hand was afraid… afraid of a mere lightning storm.

Hiccup knew she was hiding something from him. He knew her too well to know that whenever Astrid says that she is fine, it is always the exact opposite. And that trait of hers was something Hiccup admired about her. She is selfless, showing concern over others more than herself. Not wanting to trouble those she loves with her own personal problems. 

But it was a trait Hiccup hated about her as well. Telling him that she is fine even though she’s not only made Hiccup feel worse instead of feeling relief. And the last thing he wants is to be worried about her, especially knowing that he can help her overcome the challenges she’s facing, or at least lighten her burden.

Minutes of empty silence had passed and Astrid was still determined in not telling Hiccup what it was that was troubling her. Hiccup didn’t force her. He waited and remained seated beside her to let her know that he is available the moment she needs him. And as soon as the sound of another lightning striking the ground was heard, she couldn’t help herself, she had to…

“Hiccup!” As if by instinct, the weeping girl immediately ran to the only lifeline she could find. She threw her body onto his and clung onto him like it was the only thing that would keep her alive, refusing to let him go as Hiccup felt her gripping onto his body so tight he was sure it would definitely leave marks.

“Shh… it’s ok, it’s ok. You’re alright, Astrid. I’m here. I’m right here.” Hiccup soothed her, his left hand quickly travelling towards her upper back to make gentle strokes to calm the tempest raging within her.

“Are you… scared of the lightning?” he whispered, feeling uncertain about what it was that was troubling Astrid. But he still needed to take a guess, or hope she would at least give him a clue.

The blonde girl only nodded, still restraining her sniffles rather well as she continued to seek comfort by burying herself into Hiccup’s chest. Her eyes were screwed shut, trying to stop her tears from falling with all her might although she desperately needed to let the water flow, to seek relief from the pressure building before her eyes. Hiccup knew that her restraints were only hurting her. Her breath was ragged and sometimes she would even choke on bits of her tears. He knew Astrid wanted to let go, to pour out everything she had been holding in onto him. But… she was just too afraid to do so.

At first, Hiccup couldn’t believe what he heard. He couldn’t believe that the most fearless warrior in Berk was scared of a mere lightning storm. If a timid person like Snotlout is able to brave through the heart of a storm, surely Astrid can do it ten times better. But that’s when he realized just how much her blindness had affected her…

“Shh… it’s ok. It’s ok... Just, let it out. Don’t hold back.” Hiccup cooed. 

Hearing Hiccup’s comforting voice, it melted something inside her. And all of a sudden, she felt the barriers behind her eyes breaking down, causing a floodgate of water to be released. His shirt that had already dried up just now started to dampen again. But this time, it wasn’t rain water, it was...

“There you go, Astrid, Just let it all out. I won’t judge you. I just want to help.” Hiccup teared a little seeing his girlfriend suffering in such an unbearable state. It broke his heart seeing her like this. But on the inside, he was smiling vaguely, happy to see that Astrid was finally letting go of her fears and trusting him in taking her through it. His left hand moving in pace with her breathing as he stroked her back according to the rhythm of her heaving body.

Astrid wasn’t sure what it was but something about having Hiccup as her boyfriend felt… reassuring. She didn’t have to say a word and it felt… it felt like Hiccup truly understands what she was going through although she didn’t explain to him anything.

During her blindness, she never felt alone. She didn’t feel like she was stuck in a world of permanent darkness all by herself because... Hiccup was there. He was there with her, in the dark. Something about him made her feel like Hiccup was able to share in her suffering as well... even though Hiccup had never been blind before.

And that’s when Astrid took notice of the sensitive and sweet heart he has towards her. It was his sensitivity and empathy towards her that allowed him to place himself into her position without having to go through the same situation. And it was this sensitive and loving heart that makes him such a great leader, a passionate dragon lover, and… a great boyfriend...

And only this empathetic heart of his can break down Astrid’s four walls that were trying to...

“Hiccup... I’m scared... I’m scared of the lightning...” Astrid confronted Hiccup with her true feelings, finally tearing down her strong stance to become vulnerable towards him. 

“Yes, I know you are. But it’s ok, you’re ok. I’m right here.” Hiccup reminded her again with a tighter grip around her body. This time, Astrid appreciated it, appreciating him being here with her right now as he walked her through her storm the same way he had walked her through her darkness.

“I’m so… scared Hiccup… I don’t want to be blind again… Ever since that day… I could hardly get any sleep at night because of how scared I was to see permanent darkness… I thought… I thought I was finally able to control my fear after a few nights but… but then this storm arrived and then suddenly... I felt like the same worthless blind person I was all over again!” 

“I understand, Astrid. But you just have to brave through this storm and stop the memories from haunting you, okay? It’s going to be hard, and it’ll take a really long time. But I promise you. You’re going to beat this! We… are going to beat this. You have me, Astrid. I’ll go through this together with you. I promise. And by the time you know it, all your fears of darkness and lightning will be long forgotten.” Hiccup continued whispering comforting words into her ear. His hand still rubbing her back soothingly to tame her squalling.

Astrid nestled her face between the crook of his neck, pleased to have Hiccup offering her a shoulder to cry on as she felt her body relaxing from the tight contractions of her spasming body. Her breath was evening out as well and soon, the storm was quiet. 

The two sat there in silence for a while, holding each other tight in each other’s embrace until the storm outside had completely ceased. Cold was replaced with warmth, and fear replaced with love as Astrid no longer felt alone in this trial of hers to conquer her fears. Because now, she has Hiccup...

“I’m so grateful to have you, Hiccup… thank you… I don’t know what I’ll do without you..” 

“I’m grateful to have you too, Astrid. And I’m glad you’re alright.” Hiccup placed a kiss atop her head, rocking her body gently from one side to another as he brushed gentle strokes over her messy hair. Being enveloped in Hiccup’s presence caused Astrid’s eyelids to become heavy. And soon, drowsiness overtook her, allowing her to get the rest her body desperately needed after many nights of fighting.

When Hiccup saw that Astrid had finally fallen asleep, a small smile spread across his face. He tore her exhausted body away from his and laid her head onto a pillow, putting a blanket over her shivering body later on before he got up from her bed.

“Sleep well, Astrid. I love you. I’ll be here with you again tomorrow. I promise.” Hiccup mumbled softly beside her, lifting her hand to his lips to place a soft kiss over her white knuckles before he walked towards Stormfly to hug her by the snout.

“Thanks Stormfly, thank you for watching over Astrid for me.” 

Stormfly cawed happily and leaned into Hiccup’s hug, letting him know that she will always be there for her. Hiccup watched the blonde girl one more time, smiling contentedly to himself before he walked out of Astrid’s hut with a relieved sigh. Now that the storm is over, it looks like it’s about time Hiccup gets a bit of rest himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed the story. :)


End file.
